Prosthetic News and Research

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Prosthetic (Prosthesis) devices, such as an artificial leg, that replace a part of the body. Prostheses are typically used to replace parts lost by injury (traumatic) or missing from birth (congenital) or to supplement defective body parts. Inside the body, artificial heart valves are in common use with artificial hearts and lungs seeing less common use but under active technology development. Other medical devices and aids that can be considered prosthetics include artificial eyes, palatal obturator, gastric bands, and dentures.

Control systems have potential to improve function of powered leg prostheses

A control system that incorporated electrical signals generated during muscle contractions and gait information resulted in improved real-time control of a powered prosthetic leg for different modes of walking (such as on level ground or descending stairs), according to a study in the June 9 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on the Americans with Disabilities Act.

10 Jun 2015

Using technology to protect diabetics from foot amputations: an interview with Heleen Kist, HCi Viocare

When people don’t receive the body’s natural signals due to neuropathy, they can unknowingly be exposing their feet to conditions that are known to cause foot ulcers, such as repeated pressure and shear...

4 Jun 2015

MGH researchers develop bioartificial replacement limbs suitable for transplantation

A team of Massachusetts General Hospital investigators has made the first steps towards development of bioartificial replacement limbs suitable for transplantation. In their report, which has been published online in the journal Biomaterials, the researchers describe using an experimental approach previously used to build bioartificial organs to engineer rat forelimbs with functioning vascular and muscle tissue.

3 Jun 2015

Researchers explore new approaches to designing prosthetic limb with the ability to feel

Researchers are exploring new approaches to designing prosthetic hands capable of providing "sensory feedback." Advances toward developing prostheses with a sense of touch are presented in a special topic article in the June issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

30 May 2015

LegWorks receives grant to produce affordable prosthetic knee for amputees in developing countries

Backed with a blend of private and Government of Canada investments catalyzed by Grand Challenges Canada, a new Toronto-based company will contribute to a better life for amputees in developing countries.

28 May 2015

Just think about it: Giving natural movement to a patient with quadriplegia

Paralysis is often the result of nerve damage that prevents commands from the brain being relayed to muscle to cause movement...

22 May 2015

Miniature, fiber-optic microscope allows deep brain exploration

A team of neuroscientists and bioengineers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have created a miniature, fiber-optic microscope designed to peer deeply inside a living brain.

14 May 2015

Researchers record moment-by-moment fluctuations in brain signals

Researchers studying how the brain makes decisions have, for the first time, recorded the moment-by-moment fluctuations in brain signals that occur when a monkey making free choices has a change of mind.

6 May 2015

Study examines outcomes following mechanical prosthetic vs bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement

In a comparison of mechanical prosthetic vs bioprosthetic mitral valves among patients 50 to 69 years of age undergoing mitral valve replacement, there was no significant difference in survival at 15 years, although there were differences in risk of reoperation, bleeding and stroke, according to a study in the April 14 issue of JAMA.

16 Apr 2015

New article highlights need for optimization of warfarin therapy

Warfarin can be a challenging drug to manage. Long-term anticoagulation is recommended for patients with atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke, and for those with recurrent venous thrombosis or prosthetic heart valves.

1 Apr 2015

New UH research shows how non-invasive brain-machine interface can help control prosthetic hand

A research team from the University of Houston has created an algorithm that allowed a man to grasp a bottle and other objects with a prosthetic hand, powered only by his thoughts.

1 Apr 2015

Shape-memory alloy wires to drive artificial hands

Engineers at Saarland University have taken a leaf out of nature's book by equipping an artificial hand with muscles made from shape-memory wire. The new technology enables the fabrication of flexible and lightweight robot hands for industrial applications and novel prosthetic devices.

25 Mar 2015

Three Austrian men undergo bionic hand reconstruction

Three Austrian men have become the first in the world to undergo a new technique called “bionic reconstruction”, enabling them to use a robotic prosthetic hand controlled by their mind, according to new research published in The Lancet.

26 Feb 2015

Three innovative research projects aim to improve lives of people with mobility difficulties

A prosthetic hand controlled by the nervous system, robotic clothing to help people with walking, and biosensors to monitor how patients use equipment or exercise during rehabilitation are the focus of three research projects awarded £5.3 million by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

25 Feb 2015

CryoLife's revenues increase 5% to $37.2M in fourth quarter 2014

CryoLife, Inc., a leading medical device and tissue processing company focused on cardiac and vascular surgery, announced today its results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2014.

17 Feb 2015

Rehabilitation experts to develop prosthetic limb that moves and feels like natural one

Rehabilitation experts at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine hope to one day give people with an arm amputation a prosthetic limb that not only moves like a natural one, but "feels" like it, too.

12 Feb 2015

Three groups of researchers receive BRAIN Initiative funding to improve artificial limb technology

Three groups of researchers who have received support from the National Institutes of Health will obtain funding from the President's BRAIN Initiative to improve artificial limb technology. The new awards will be funded and administered by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and will build on the fundamental discoveries that were made possible by NIH support.

10 Feb 2015

Researchers win $2.5 million DARPA contract to study prosthetic limb technology

A research team led by Paul Marasco, Ph.D., of Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute, has won a $2.5 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The contract was awarded through DARPA's new Hand Proprioception and Touch Interfaces (HAPTIX) program, which aims to deliver naturalistic sensations to amputees and enable better control over their prosthetic limbs through direct connections to users' nervous systems.

10 Feb 2015

Utah researchers receive $1.4 million to develop implantable neural interface

University of Utah researchers have received $1.4 million to further develop an implantable neural interface that will allow an amputee to move an advanced prosthetic hand with just his or her thoughts. The neural interface will also convey feelings of touch and movement.

9 Feb 2015

PPDC awards grants to three companies developing new medical devices for children

The Philadelphia Pediatric Medical Device Consortium announces its first three awards to companies developing new medical devices for children.

4 Feb 2015